Elias looked at his own cloak. He saw the "Conflict" threads he had carefully dyed to show his resilience. He saw the "Climax" gold-work from his graduation. He realized he was so busy being a "character" that he had forgotten he was a living being.
"Where is your story?" Elias asked, shocked. In Aethelgard, being seen without a cloak was like being invisible. Elias looked at his own cloak
For a moment, the cold air hit his skin and he felt a terrifying lightness, as if he might float away. But then, he heard a bird chirp. He felt the rough texture of the bench. He smelled the rain-slicked earth. He wasn't the Architect or the Scholar anymore. He was simply there . "It's quiet," Elias whispered. "No," the woman smiled. "It's finally real.". He realized he was so busy being a